Promises
by cloverriot96
Summary: Cloud told Tifa he couldn't be with her. That night, she goes missing, and is used for some sick reasons. Will Cloud keep the promise that he made years ago, or will she be forgotten? Much better than summary, I promise! RxR!
1. Chapter 1

Wham! Tifa Lockhart slammed her fist against the wall. Ignoring the stabbing pain in her fist, she let a few tears escape. She had never felt more stupid in her entire life. She shook as she recalled the incident that had just happened merely five minutes ago..

"_Tifa!" She heard a familiar voice call from behind her. Tifa turned, her hair whipping against her shoulders. She smiled as she looked at the man she loved so dearly. Cloud Strife hurried to catch up to her._

"_Good morning, Cloud." She said, feeling the slight heat in her cheeks as she blushed. God, he was perfect._

"_Teef, listen. I really need to talk to you. Can we go to your room?" Cloud gazed at her with those lovely blue eyes of his._

_ "Sure." She led Cloud into her freshly cleaned bedroom. Light streamed through the bay window as dust motes fluttered about. She felt happy in here._

_ "Tifa, I know how you feel about me. But Tifa I can't be with you." Cloud said in one breath. Tifa froze. Her heart rate dropped and she felt the room spinning._

_ "I'm not going to ask why. You're running away like you always do." She could feel the tears stinging in her eyes._

_ "Tifa, you know that's not-" Cloud stuttered before Tifa cut him off._

_ "I'm done." She left, fists clenched tightly. _

Damn him. She thought bitterly. Cloud couldn't man up, could he? She heard him leave a few minutes ago, and she had never felt more alone in her entire life. She curled up on her bed and cried herself to sleep.

A few hours later, the creak of the floorboards awoke Tifa. She sat up in bed, looking around. She decided it must be Denzel or Marlene.

A hand clamped down around her mouth and she screamed into the gloved palm. She bit as hard as she could and the person howled in pain. She sprung out of her bed and whipped around, pulling her gloves from her pocket. She braced herself against her attacker. He turned to face her, a sadistic grin plastered on his face.

"Don't be like that, sugar I won't hurt you if you cooperate." His black eyes sparkled with a glint of evil.

"If you think I'll give into what ever it you want, think again." Tifa growled menacingly.

The man took another step towards her. That was the trigger. She lept off the floor and aimed a kick at the man's head. Before she could make contact, he grabbed her ankle and slammed her right through the floorboards. She landed in the table below and groaned. She couldn't move a muscle. The man dropped down after her and picked her up by her hair.

"You're coming with me sugar. I want you." Tifa aimed a weak punch, but failed. The man laughed and Tifa's conciousness slipped in and out.

Cloud… Was the last thought she had before the world went black.

"CLOUD STRIFE, YOU'RE SUCH AN IDIOT!" Yuffie screamed the minute he walked through the door. Cloud had been expecting this, but he was only trying to protect Tifa. He loved her too much to let her suffer.

"Cloud, you are going to march over to the bar, and apologize for your stupid actions. You know how much you love her Cloud, and you can't run away from it." Barret called from the table in the living room. Marlene was curled up on his lap, fast asleep.

"It's the middle of the night, she's asleep." Cloud mumbled, not pleased with his poor excuse.

Yuffie scowled. "You know full well that she doesn't sleep without you. She has nightmares otherwise." Cloud flinched at the last part.

"Fine." Cloud said, storming out of the house. He knew they were right, but he was protecting Tifa. Protecting her from someone who was too messed up to be loved by such a wonderful girl like her.

All too soon he was outside the bar door. He knocked and waited, but there was no answer. Great, she was going to be difficult.

"Tifa, it's me. Please open up." He called. Cloud reached for the doorknob, surprised to find it unlocked. That was odd, Tifa never went to sleep if the bar wasn't locked. Maybe she was waiting for him.

"Tifa?" He called, still receiving now answer. He wondered through the house and skidded to a stop when he saw a mess in the kitchen.

A table laid smashed on the ground, as if it had collapsed under great force. Debris and dust surrounded it. Cloud's stomach dropped as he look up towards the ceiling. Shit! He thought, noticing that it was Tifa's room above the kitchen. He sprinted up the steps.

"Tifa?" He yelled, fearing the worst. He got to her bedroom and saw that it was empty. Her blankets were all bunched up and hanging off the side of the bed, like they had been pulled off. The hole in the floor was large, and Cloud saw a few strands of black hair clumped to one of the broken floorboards. He felt sick.

Fumbling for his cell phone, his fingers dialed Yuffie's number. He was shaking all over in fury.

"Yuffie! Where's Tifa?" Cloud growled into the phone. He was scared out of his mind.

"What do you mean 'where's Tifa?' She's at home!" Yuffie screeched.

"Dammit! No she's not! There's been a…struggle." Cloud's voice cracked on the last word.

Yuffie gasped. "Get back here, now Cloud! We need to start searching immediately." She hissed.

"You think I don't know that?" Cloud yelled before snapping his phone shut. He was still shaking violently as he remembered his earlier fight with Tifa.

_I should never have said those things. If I had just shut up and stayed, then she would be safe here with me, in my arms._ Cloud that bitterly. He sped through the streets back to his base.

"We have to find her now!" Cloud roared the moment he went inside. Everyone jumped at his booming voice. They had never seen him so angry.

"We're working on it!" Yuffie and Barret bellowed at the same time. Everyone looked extremely worried and nervous, but Cloud was the worst.

"Now, let's go over what we know. We know that at some point after you left, she was attacked. She obviously put up a good fight, but the other person won. Were there any trails, Cloud?" Barret said, looking at the space behind Cloud.

Cloud stiffened. "I found a clump of hair and some blood spatter. Not much, so I guess that's good. We need to search the streets around her home for more clues." He grumbled. They needed to get a move on, Tifa was in danger!

"Let's go." Vincent said, speaking for the first time since Cloud had seen him.

The group ran off to the 7th Heaven Bar. Each of them split up, searching the area.

Cloud paid close attention to the ground, looking for any sort of trail. A glint of white fabric caught his eye, and he leaned closer to investigate.

"Good girl, Tifa." Cloud whispered, picking up the trail of material. It looked as though Tifa ripped bits off of her nightgown and let them trail behind her. From what Cloud could see, there was a solid trail.

"Everyone, I've got something. Let's go." Cloud barked into his phone.

_Hang in there Tifa, I'm coming._

Tifa was in a damp, dark room. It smelled horrible and she was dizzy. She hoped dearly that Cloud had picked up on her trail- that is, if he even noticed or cared that she was gone. In the very least, the others would come for her.

The door to the room banged open. A draft blew threw and tickled her now bare skin. As soon as she had arrived, she had been stripped of her night gown and was left in only her undergarments.

"Hello honey." The disgusting, slimy voice called out to her. Tifa flinched involuntarily.

"Get off of me." Tifa hissed, bucking her legs at him. Her efforts were in vain- she was tied tightly to the chair.

The man reached forward a filthy hand and stroked her breasts. "Don't be like that sugar, you'll grow to like me." His breath was foul.

Tifa spat in his face. The guy obviously didn't like that, for her grabbed her by the neck and slammed her and the chair to the ground, shattering it. He grabbed a knife from his pocket and sliced it across her stomach. Tifa let out a howl of pain as she curled over into a ball.

"Next time, just take it." He spat back in her face. TIfa groaned, letting the tears that had been threatening her escape.

_Cloud… even if you don't care for me, please keep your promise… please come for me. _ Tifa thought, before she slipped into the darkness.


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, so a new chapter!**

** I got pointed out that the plot was too rushed and the theme too cliche, so I think I'm going to re-write the first chapter... I spent some time on this one, so reviews are much appreciated!

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"You don't know who I am, do you?" That disgusting, vile man said to Tifa.

Tifa scowled. "Obviously, I don't. Otherwise, I would've said your name, dumbass." She hissed, kicking her legs blindly for a target.

"I'm sure you're familiar with Sephiroth?" Tifa froze. A cold sweat broke out across her clammy forehead. Vivid images of her village's demise flashed through her mind.

"Yes, I know him." Tifa said in a strained voice. She wasn't going to let this guy get to her.

"I'm Saphiroe, Sephiroth's older brother. It's because if you and your group that my little brother is dead." Saphiroe spat. Tifa, still frozen, looked for some strength to fight this guy.

"What exactly do you want with me?" Tifa snapped, glaring in Saphiroe's direction.

The villain chuckled. "I'm going to use you as bait for the blond headed boy. Once he comes…." Saphiroe trailed off. Tifa knew what was going to happen. She was going to die. _Right in front of Cloud._

* * *

Cloud's trail for Tifa ended about three miles later. The little bits of nightgown had grown smaller and smaller before disappearing entirely. He had never felt more angry.

"You lost the trail, didn't you?" Vincent's voice came from behind. Cloud's fists clenched as he whipped around and attempted to aim a fist in his face. Vincent stepped swiftly out of the way, while Barrett came from behind and restrained him.

"Cloud, chill out! You are so moody!" Yuffie's voice piped from behind Barrett. Cloud growled in response.

"In case you haven't realized, Tifa is MISSING." He snarled at her. Yuffie raised an eyebrow.

"Of course I realize it, but in case you haven't realized, we're trying to help. She's as much of our family as she is of yours. So don't bite my head off, and quit attacking us." She retorted coolly. Cloud kept his mouth closed, knowing she was right.

* * *

Tifa had grown to hate the cold. She hadn't really minded it before, but now she despised it. She hated being stuck on the freezing floor, with a draft continuously blowing into the room.

_Toughen up girl. You gotta think of a plan to get out of this mess._ She thought bitterly. She had been going back and forth between endless plans that could get her out before Cloud showed up- that is IF he showed up.

_Cloud promised you. He promised that if you were ever in trouble, he would come for you. _A small, sweet voice whispered in the back of her head.

_Yeah, that was before he started to hate you. That was before he LEFT you. _A bitter voice reminded her. She sighed, wondering if this isolation was making her go crazy.

There were voices and footsteps in the shack now. Tifa flinched, wondering who else was here. The footsteps grew louder outsider her door, before it flung open.

Saphiroe stood with two other men smiling maliciously. Their eyes raked over her basically naked body. She curled up, hoping her legs would shield her from their pervish stares.

"Hello sugar, we need a small favor from you." Saphiroe's slimy voice called out to her.

Tifa's eyes narrowed. "Whatever it is, you're not getting it." She replied fiercely. She wasn't going to give in without a fight.

"We just need some blood, that's all." One man said.

"Oh, and why might that be?" She responded coldly.

"Cloud Strife and friends are VERY close to here. We need you to scream a little for us, so that they'll come quicker and I can avenge my brother's death." Saphiroe spat.

Tifa felt lifeless. She needed to use one of her plans and fast. She couldn't bear to watch Cloud or any other of her friends die.

They inched closer to her. Tifa coiled her muscles, preparing for a counterattack. She felt the ropes loosen around her wrists to the point where she could wiggle out of them. She was ready to fight.

* * *

"Cloud, maybe we should look in another direction." Barrett's deep voice called from behind him. They had been searching the same area for hours, maybe even days and still nothing.

"I'm sure she's somewhere near here." He muttered, squinting his eyes harder. The shrill scream that cut through the air rose goosebumps on his skin.

"I'm not going to lie, but that definitely sounds like Tifa." Yuffie whispered, her eyes widening in fear.

Cloud didn't hear the others responses. He took off, running in the direction of the scream, as they continued. He could hear other voices as well, male voices.

* * *

Tifa was fighting. She had already brought down one man already, and was now batteling the other one and Saphiroe as well. Her only weapons were her fists.

"You BITCH!" Saphiroe screamed, swinging his sword at her. It grazed across her face, and even though it didn't hurt she screamed.

Saphiroe's accomplice tried to grab her from behind. The minute his arms were secured around her waist, she elbowed him in the face and back flipped herself onto his shoulders. She locked her arms around his neck and jerked it to the side. The second man fell to the floor, dead.

Saphiroe let out a shriek of anger. He threw his sword at her, but before she could twist away, it lodged itself in her shoulder. She screamed even louder, but she pulled it out of her, happy to now have a weapon.

The fighting continued. Tifa managed to scrape him across the stomach and the arm, as she wasn't that experienced with swords. She eventually threw it away, as she slugged him in the face.

Just as she brought her foot in contact with the back of his head, he grabbed her leg and slammed her down. He wrapped his arm tightly around her neck and she felt the cool barrel of a gun press against her temple. Her heart was beating rapidly.

The door flung open. Tifa cursed, as Saphiroe's plan fell into place. Cloud and the others were here, and she was at Saphiroe's mercy.

Or so they thought.

They didn't know that this was part of _her _plan.

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**I think the ending turned out pretty good :) Let me know, I'm open to all opinions! (just don't be mean ;) )**

**love,**

**cr96**

**p.s. Check out some other stories! THey're left over from my short lived twilight obsession. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Here you go, new chapter! :)

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Cloud stared at Tifa in horror. There she was, beaten, bloody and a gun to her head. This guy looked familiar, but he couldn't place why. Not that it mattered, all he cared about was rescuing her.

Saphiroe pushed the barrel of the gun harder against TIfa's head. She grit her teeth, as she tried to focus on her plan. Cloud just stood there, ogling like the idiot he was.

"Let her go." He finally said, warming her heart for the tiniest fraction of a second. When she remembered what he had said, her heart turned hard again.

"Why, and spoil my fun? Besides, this is revenge." Saphiroe chuckled. Cloud's eyes narrowed into deadly slits.

"Why do you want revenge? We don't know you." He said in a deadly voice. That was the voice he used when he was seriously pissed off, and to be honest, it scared Tifa a little.

"I am Saphiroe, Sephiroth's older brother. He's dead thanks to you, and I'm going to avenge his death." Saphiroe spat. Tifa heard the familiar shift of the lock on the gun and she knew it was time.

_Now! _She screamed mentally. She punched Saphiroe in the crotch, causing his grip on her to slacken. She wrenched herself free and knocked the gun out of his hands and caught it. She spun around and aimed the gun directly at his heart.

"You're going down, Saphiroe, just like your pathetic brother." She hissed menacingly. She hadn't seen him grip a knife in his back pocket. Just as she pulled the trigger and fired several times, he threw the knife at her. She braced herself against the pain, but the only thing she felt was something knocking her over, and pushing her to the ground. She opened her eyes and saw Cloud panting over her. The knife was lodged in his side.

"Cloud!" Tifa screamed, despite herself. She tossed the gun away quickly, and pulled him into her lap. The blood was flowing smoothly out of the wound.

_Dammit, why did you get in the way? _Her head voice screamed at him. She ripped the knife out and tore his shirt open. She made a quick bandage out of a scrap of shirt and wound in tightly around his waist.

"Tifa, let's go!" Yuffie screamed. Tifa glanced around, and to her horror saw that Saphiroe was not lying dead on the floor, but that he had disappeared. Frantic, she pulled Cloud up, ignoring her own wounds. She hurried as fast as she could before tossing Cloud's unconscious body to Barrett.

"We've got to get out of here. That was too easy. There's no way Saphiroe died." Vincent said, running along side Tifa as they made their way to the airship.

Tifa didn't look at him. She looked at Cloud's unconscious face as she realized what he had done.

"I know." Was all she said.

Four hours later, Yuffie was dressing Tifa's wounds back at the 7th Heaven bar. Tifa scowled at the mess in the kitchen, remembering unpleasant things.

"Yuff, how long was I gone?" Tifa winced as alcohol was poured onto her shoulder.

Yuffie hesitated. "I'm not sure… maybe three of four days."

"Well, it felt like a lifetime to me." Tifa grumbled, digging her nails into the countertops when a sudden thought hit her.

"Wait! Where's Denzel and Marlene?" She cried, flinging herself off of the counter, knocking the bottle of rubbing alcohol over in the process.

Yuffie scowled, then looked at Tifa with understanding eyes. "They're all right. They're staying with Cid and Sera until tomorrow. Then they'll come home." Yuffie sighed, moping up the mess.

Tifa sighed. "At least they're safe."

"Yeah." Yuffie smiled slightly.

"I'm going to go check on Cloud." Tifa mumbled, dragging herself up the steps. Her arm and stomach twinged a bit from the scars. She stopped at the edge of Cloud's room, realizing she hadn't been in there since he left.

Cloud was lying straight, glaring at the ceiling. Tifa knocked softly but Cloud didn't budge.

"How are you doing?" She whispered, creeping over to the edge of the bed. She didn't dare sit down, in fear of him snapping at her or budging his wound.

Tifa wanted to yell at him. She wanted to slap him for being the world's biggest jerk, but as she looked at him, she saw the man she loved and couldn't stop loving. Maybe she could do with a lecture.

"I'm fine." Cloud said, never taking his eyes off of the ceiling. Tifa forced herself to stop looking at him, and instead focused on the wall in front of her.

"You really didn't need to do what you did. I could've taken it. I was prepared too." Tifa said stubbornly, although her shoulder said differently.

This time. Cloud turned to face her. She felt his eyes boring into the side of her face. She forced herself to keep staring at the wall.

"Tifa, I promised you I would come for you if you were in danger." Cloud said in a hollow sort of voice. Tifa flexed her wrists.

"You've broken promises before, Cloud." Tifa said stiffly, knowing that it was a low blow.

Cloud sat up abruptly, not even flinching at his shoulder. Tifa unwillingly looked at him, and couldn't look away.

"Tifa Lockhart, I left because I wanted to protect you, not because I wanted to. You're so important to me, that I couldn't let you throw away your life chasing after someone who wasn't fit to be with you. I'm not… I'm not good enough, Tifa. I never have been and I never will be." Tifa stared in shock. She wouldn't have been surprised if her mouth was hanging wide open, for that was the longest speech he had ever made.

"Look Cloud, you said so yourself, you didn't want to be with me. I don't know whether that's true or not, but I can't help that I love you." Tifa said softly. She knew she should be angry, that she should hate him. But she couldn't.

"Tifa, do you know what I thought when you were gone, while I was looking for you and when I found you?" Tifa shook her head. Cloud took a deep breath. "I thought I was such an idiot. I couldn't believe that I had left you so easily in the hands of danger. While I was looking, you were all I could think about. I was so focused on finding you, I decided that if it was the last thing I ever did, I would bring you home. When I saw you in that shack, bloodied and clearly hurt, in nothing but your um… undergarments, I had never felt more angry. Then I just stood by and watched you defend yourself. I didn't even realize what was happening until he pulled that knife ou

* * *

t. At that moment, I didn't care about anything else, but getting you out of the way of that damn knife. If I lost you I would…" Cloud trailed off, leaving Tifa dumbfounded.

"Even though you had left… the entire time I was hoping you would come. I was hoping you would keep your promise." Tifa admitted.

Cloud was silent for a moment, staring into Tifa's eyes. She felt the heat rise on her cheeks.

"So where does that leave us now?" He finally asked, intertwining his fingers with hers.

Tifa smiled wryly. "You tell me."

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So, there you have it :) As cheesy and cliche as the ending is, their moment of peace won't last very long... review!

**love,**

** cr96**


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